- World News
India: Why violence keeps flaring up at the Assam-Mizoram border
Police forces of two northeastern Indian states clashed at a contentious border area on July 26. The clashes between Assam and Mizoram police left six Assamese policemen dead and more than 70 people injured, prompting widespread anger among the Assamese people. In response, some Assamese residents blocked trucks transporting essential supplies, including medicines to treat COVID-19 patients, from entering Mizoram.…
- World News
The woman in charge of the EU mission in the Sahel
Antje Pittelkau is in charge of the EU mission in the Sahel. The 54-year-old police officer was born in Freiburg, Germany. She worked in Berlin for several years, served for four years in Afghanistan and arrived in Niger in 2018 on the EUCAP mission. The EUCAP mission supports security in Niger. It is part of the EU’s Common Security and…
- World News
How Zanzibar cares for its stray cats
Zanzibar’s Stone Town is overpopulated by cats. There are hundreds of them on the streets. Some people feed them at the Forodhani Gardens. Cats are unprotected her, some are injured, others are simply lost. Young volunteers provide veterinary care and try to find them homes. The cats are also creating jobs. Some young people capture the animals and use cages…
- World News
Retired teacher decides to domesticate zebras in Kenya
These wild zebras live together with domestic animals and share food on this rural property. Deforestation in Kilgoris usually causes zebras to migrate. But these zebras found their own piece of paradise. Deforestation is caused by new infrastructure and housing developments in western Kenya, but Saeni didn’t want to clear his land. The retired teacher soon noticed that zebras were…
- World News
Antisemitism still common in the EU: study
Rabbi Slomo Koves was preparing to speak about Jewish life at a high school in a small, industrial town in Hungary when suddenly the headmaster had concerns. “The head of the school told me that he wanted me to be careful because most of the kids are first-time voters — and most of them will vote for the extreme-right Jobbik…
- World News
Ethiopia: War in Tigray continues as government stays silent
An air and ground offensive in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region is intensifying according to Tigrayan forces, with the Ethiopian government pressing a fresh attack . The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) says the fighting began with air strikes launched by the federal government last week. However, the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has not acknowledged the offensive. The office…
- World News
Chinese war blockbuster fuels anger in South Korea
Across China, war epic “The Battle at Lake Changjin” is filling cinemas and shattering box office records. The film, set in the Korean Peninsula and deals with the bloody 1950-53 Korean War, is on course to be the biggest grossing movie in the world this year. The movie has been met with fierce criticism in South Korea, raising the possiblility…
- World News
Critics believe Singapore’s new ‘foreign interference law’ will further stifle free speech
Critics of Singapore’s new foreign interference law are worrying about how the island-nation’s government may weaponise the new Bill to stifle free speech. But the Singaporean government maintains that its new Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act “is needed to prevent outside meddling in the city state’s domestic affairs”. Singapore’s strict regulatory and licensing environment, sweeping censorship and libel laws, has pushed…
- World News
Inside the EU’s offer to scrap most Northern Ireland checks
The European Union says its new proposals to solve the post-Brexit Northern Ireland conundrum go far beyond tinkering around the edges: halving customs paperwork on goods entering Northern Ireland from the British mainland and scrapping the majority of checks on food. EU officials are already in London to discuss their suggested changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, but, with big…
- World News
AfricaLink on Air – 13 October 2021
Rwanda education sector in shock after 60,000 students fail+++Ethiopian offensive in two northern regions intensifies+++Guinea’s military ruler, Col. Mamady Doumbouya, force some 42 military generals to early retirement+++Nigeria approves electronic transfer of election results+++Elderly fend off sexual predators through learning Karate SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Benin: An Afro-descendant in the land of her ancestors
“I was absolutely told through my research, through what I’ve talked to people about that you definitely have to come and visit Ouidah. And so coming here into the Sacred Forest has been eye-opening. Getting to see the rituals, getting to understand a lot more about the religion of Vodun, it also helps me as a tourist and a visitor…
- World News
World in Progress: How Niger is fighting radicalization with education
This report by Bettina Rühl is presented by Ineke Mules. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
COVID: Will European tourists return to Southeast Asia?
It’s little wonder Southeast Asia is now in a rush to welcome back tourists: in 2019, the sector was worth $393billion (€340 billion) for the regional economy. For countries like Cambodia and Thailand, tourism accounted for around a third and a fifth of their entire GDP, respectively. But the COVID-19 pandemic has hit hard. The region welcomed 143 million tourists…
- World News
Scandal-hit Austria: New chancellor, same policies
After being engulfed in political drama over the last few days, Austria has a new head of government; however, apparently, a reluctant one. Alexander Schallenberg, who has taken over from Sebastian Kurz, describes himself as being “chancellor against his will.” At his inauguration in the chancellery on Vienna’s Ballhausplatz, the former foreign minister said the post was an honor that…
- World News
AfricaLink on Air – 12 October 2021
International court backs Somalia in sea dispute with Kenya++ EU places temporary visa restrictions on Gambians++Turkey: Social media under increased threat from government SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Japan bids to harness the energy of super typhoons
At the peak of its power on September 27, Mindulle was classified as the third super typhoon to form in the Western Pacific this year, with winds gusting up to 195 kilometers (121 miles) an hour. The powerful storm, which had originated close to the Pacific island of Guam, made its way north and by the last week of September…
- Sports News
Germany win in wet Skopje to secure 2022 World Cup spot
Thanks to a big win over North Macedonia, Germany have qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A lot has changed since their last meeting. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
An inquiry exposed sexual abuse within French Catholic Church — now what?
Editor’s note: The following article contains graphic details of sexual assault and child abuse. “The father took me to his tent and closed it,” said the victim. “He kissed me on the lips, with his tongue. It was disgusting. He caressed me. I was petrified,” the victim continued. “He taught me words I didn’t know — like masturbation and fellatio.…
- World News
AfricaLink On Air – 11 October 2021
News+++ Sankara trial begins in Burkina Faso+++South Africa fears COVID surge as local election campaigns start+++Rwanda’s circumcision plan to stop HIV+++Flavored ARVs in Kenya help children take HIV medication+++Sports SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Kashmir: Minority killings increase amid violent demographic tensions
Last week, two Hindu schoolteachers and a pharmacist in Srinagar were killed by militants who claimed their victims were right-wing Hindu nationalists implementing New Delhi’s “occupation designs” for Kashmir. Their deaths are part of a recent spate of killings, which are being blamed on an Islamist militant insurgency challenging New Delhi’s rule in the restive region. Hindus, also called “Pandits”…
- World News
Philippines: What does Maria Ressa’s Nobel Peace Prize mean for the rights movement?
The Nobel Peace Prize for Filipino journalist Maria Ressa has brought global attention to the struggle for human rights and press freedom in the Philippines. It is also the first time the prize, whose previous recipients include Mother Teresa, was awarded to a journalist. Ressa shares the award with Russian journalist, Dmitry Muratov. “The Nobel Prize upholds the sanctity of…
- World News
Afghanistan: What will the Taliban do without an enemy to fight?
In the first half of August, Taliban forces toppled the previous, internationally backed Afghan government in a lightning offensive. This swept Taliban fighters, who had spent years “in the mountains” — an often literal euphemism for waging guerrilla warfare — into cities, towns, and regular army bases abandoned by former government forces. Now, the militant group wants to build “strong…
- World News
Croatian politicians deny culpability in border pushbacks
Standing in the Croatian parliament in front of a dozen TV cameras, Sandra Bencic asked the question of the day: “Do we want to live in a state in which lawless groups run around beating people up?” Bencic, who leads the left-wing green opposition party Mozemo (We Can), called on Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to explain what is happening at…
- World News
Let’s talk about sex, habibi!
Traditionally, in most Middle Eastern countries, “it” is expected to happen on the wedding night for the first time. “But for most women, this is also the first time they are naked in front of anyone and the first time they see a penis in real life,” Nour Emam, who runs Arab-English sex education courses, told DW. One doesn’t have…
- World News
Is Europe ready for a post-COVID migration wave?
For the many in Europe who have weathered the waves of the coronavirus pandemic, being in a crowd once again is a surreal feeling. As European countries emerge from the peaks of the pandemic, the masks are off and lockdowns seem to be a thing of the past. With high vaccination rates, many European Union countries are facing a brave…
- World News
Angela Merkel leaves lasting legacy in Israel
While Germany grapples with the task of forming a new government, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel is heading to Israel. An earlier scheduled visit had to be postponed at the last minute in August because of events in Afghanistan. Originally described by officials as “a working visit,”it now has the aura of a farewell trip. On Sunday she will meet Israel’s…
- Sports News
Hansi Flick’s effect on Germany becomes clearer with victory over Romania
Germany overcame Romania with less gloss than in recent performances. Nevertheless, it is increasingly clear that Hansi Flick has changed the direction of this side. One more win will secure World Cup qualification. SOURCE: DW News
- World News
Who is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov?
It’s truly amazing that, in today’s Russia, Dmitry Muratov is still in charge of the newsroom of the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper — and has not been killed, forced into exile or branded a “foreign agent,” as has happened to many other representatives of his craft. “With this award, we will campaign for Russian journalism, which is now subject to…
- World News
Koreans celebrate their language but fear foreign encroachment
October 9, a national holiday to honor the Hangul, the Korean alphabet, is a red-letter day on the South Korean calendar. The holiday was established in 1970, and purists are now warning that the writing system, which will mark its 575th anniversary this year, is increasingly threatened by foreign words. The words, purists say, are being adopted as a result…
- World News
The uphill battle facing Chad’s new transition council
Earlier this week, Chad officially swore in its interim parliament, the so-called National Transition Council (CNT). Chad’s military junta —which emerged after the death of longtime ruler Idriss Deby Itno — named the 93-member assembly. The CNT effectively replaces the former national assembly which existed under Deby’s regime. For now, Chad is ruled by a military junta. Deby, who was…